The Second Door to the Right
by therainydaykids
Summary: Skye steals Lumina's engagement ring and Jill gets a little more than she bargained for when she's asked to get it back. A four-shot for AsianFlipGurl. Rated T for sexual references.
1. Crossing Paths

**A/N**: Dear AsianFlipGurl, I got you for the second time in a row (what are the chances)! I hope you don't mind but I decided to write Jill/Skye – I haven't actually played Animal Parade/Tree of Tranquillity. Anyway, I hope you feel better soon (wisdom teeth _suck!) _and have a fabulous summer :,)

_Warning: Skye can be very suggestive (more so in the next 2 chapters). It's rated T for a reason!_

* * *

**The Second Door on the Right**

* * *

Fate did not, contrary to popular belief, work in mysterious ways.

Of this fact Skye was certain.

Fate, in his opinion, was not subtle or enigmatic. There was a pattern, perhaps not as simple as he led people to believe but undeniable none the less.

If the outcome of one event was significantly greater than the event itself, it was fate.

Of this fact Skye was certain.

The thing about fate, however, was that you could never be positive it _was_ fate until you looked back on your life and pinpointed that exact moment – that hour, that minute, that second - your life changed greatly, _impossibly_.

So, believing this to be true, Skye was certain the events of summer sixth were fate.

After all, if, on the sixth of summer, Jill had taken the third door on the right they never would have crossed paths or subsequently met at the Goddess Pond not one but three times and she never would have outsmarted him and he never would have cooked her curry and _they_, arguably, never would have fallen in love.

But the fact of the matter was this: Jill did not take the third door on the right and whether that was fate or not is up to you.

* * *

**Part One**

**In which they cross paths**

* * *

Lumina was sprawled out on a cluster of silk blankets. Her head was against a mountain of pillows and light brown hair fanned out around her face like a halo. An eclectic mix of women dotted the rest of her bedroom– a barmaid, a miner, a traveller, two farmers – and they were all listening to her recount, in dreamy notes, the story of her engagement.

The summary of her rather long anecdote was that Rock had proposed to her on the beach under the orange glow of sunset with a blue feather _and_ a ring – a fact that was met with a chorus of wistful sighs from the majority.

"I hope you realize you easily could have told us that in thirty seconds rather than the thirty _minutes _you took._"_ Flora complained from her seat on the windowsill a mere five seconds after Lumina had finished the story.

"_Only _thirty minutes? I swear I grew a couple of grey hairs during that story." Nami chimed in, readjusting the cushions on the couch she was seated on.

Muffy, who was next to her, peered into her scarlet hair "Yep, I can definitely see a couple of greys in here."

"Oh shush you two, _I _thought it was sweet." Celia cooed.

"And buying you the ring _was _romantic." Muffy admitted reluctantly. Nami and Flora exchanged irritated looks.

"It was _all _romantic – the speech, the ring, _the kiss_. Oh goddess, I wish it was possible to bottle this kind of happiness." Lumina sighed, staring up at the rich, velvet canopy that covered her bed.

Jill had been listening to the exchange on a rug in the corner of the room but until this moment had remained silent. "When's the wedding?"

"A week from today."

Jill tilted her head so her ear now faced Lumina in disbelief - surely she had misheard her companion. "A week? As in seven days, 168 hours and…" She trailed off, confident her point had been made.

"_See," _Nami hissed, elbowing the blonde next to her. "It's not just me who thinks that is completely bonkers."

"Bonkers…,_" _Muffy repeated her word back at her, tone incredulous, before: "honestly Nami, what sort of word is _bonkers_?"

"An adjective." She replied coolly.

"Funny."

"Anyway," Celia began, shushing the bickering barmaid and traveller with a wave of her hand before she explained: "one week is the traditional time in The Valley. That is, if you want good luck and the blessing of the Goddess - so they say."

Lumina shot her an appreciative smile before adding: "It's known as the Legend of the Wedding Bells, actually" Silence met her words and Lumina, noticing the wide spectacle of blank looks and slowly blinking eyes, clarified herself, "it's been theorised that the blue feather is meant to be enchanted and that if you get married exactly seven days from the proposal then the Goddess will ring the wedding bells for you after you've said your vows, granting you and your spouse eternal good luck."

In Jill's opinion 'eternal good luck' sounded like something from an obscure religion but instead of sharing that particular insight she merely shrugged and said, "I don't think you and Rock will need supernatural luck to stay married. You know, the whole soul mates thing and all."

Lumina flushed. "Who would have guessed though? I mean he's so, so _impulsive_ and…and such a_ slacker." _She paused, took a deep breath and added for good measure: "which, of course, isn't like me at all.

"Er Lumina, we _all _guessed that you would end up together." Flora pointed out, brows furrowed.

Nami rolled her eyes and in exaggerated sarcasm said: "Goddess knows _how_ though. You never spoke about him at all. Or complained that he wouldn't ask you out on a date. Or talked about that time he kissed you by the goddess pond after you lost your necklace…"

Muffy nodded. "The vagabond makes a valid point – you weren't really subtle about it. _At all." _

"The _vagabond_ has a name too."

"_Guys_, enough with the bickering." Celia pleaded to the pair. "Let's get back on topic, shall we?" She turned to Flora, who was picking bits of dirt from her fingernails and smiled slyly at her. "Flora, I bet you're hoping Carter will propose to you with a ring now."

"_If only_," She sighed before adding absent-mindedly, "I don't think that man would know a romantic gesture if it hit him in th – wait…_what?_" She sat up, startled. "Who said anything about Carter proposing…this is about Lumina and Rock…we're talking about _them_ not Carter and me."

"So you admit that there's a 'Carter and me' - as in a 'Carter and me' totally get it on in the tent or 'Carter and me' are definitely involved in a scandalously delicious apprentice-teacher love affair." The barmaid teased and she waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Flora, who had since composed herself, removed her glasses, wiped them and put them back on her face thoughtfully. "You know, I don't remember admitting to anything of the sort. _Especially_ not anything described as 'scandalously delicious'."

"Ah_,_ but you're not denying it either." Muffy sang, foot bouncing excitedly.

Flora rolled her eyes and Celia – perhaps feeling guilty for putting the spotlight on her in the first place – came to her rescue in the form of, "So, _wedding_."

Lumina nodded. "Yes, wedding." She rolled over onto her stomach, and propped her elbows on the bed and leant forward so she was looking intently at all the girls as she said: "I expect you all to be bridesmaids."

"Only if you promise not to go all bridezilla on us." Celia requested, doe eyes earnest.

The girls all nodded, making a range of affirmative noises between them.

"Me - _bridezilla?_ Honestly, ladies, I'm a little insulted." Lumina huffed and straightened the creases on her quilt.

"She might surprise us." Jill reasoned, pulling the loose threads off Lumina's floor rug.

Muffy's eyebrows shot up. "Oh c'mon, do you remember Lumina's birthday?" Jill nodded and Muffy went on, "_Well,_ Lumina must have yelled at Sebastian maybe eight times when he was icing her cake." She paused before repeating, "_The icing, _of all things._" _

"Precisely speaking, it was probably ten." Nami said, correcting the barmaid pedantically.

Muffy pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Yeah, ten does sound more accurate now you mention it."

"Cut her some slack. Frosting is pretty important." Jill said in mock defence. "It's almost up there with world peace."

"It was my twenty first birthday cake." Lumina chimed in swiftly, in a tone that suggested it excused everything.

"Exactly. That was your _twenty first birthday cake _and we're going to be helping you plan your _entire wedding." _

Celia, forever the peace maker, smiled reassuringly. "I guess it's a good thing we only have to deal with crazy-Lumina for a week."

"Yeah, until she gets pregnant. Then it will be nine months of crazy-Lumina." Flora warned the group, lips puckering into a frown.

Lumina cleared her throat, calling the attention of the women back onto her. "As much as I_ love_ hearing about crazy-Lumina, I'd like you to all listen to organized-Lumina – she has some tasks for you all to complete."

Lumina couldn't help but grin victoriously at the collective groan.

x x x

A piece of jewellery usually meant as much to the giver as it did to the receiver – which in the case of this engagement ring, Skye presumed, was a lot.

Skye reflected on this as he plucked it from its velvet case. He didn't think about it so he could agonize guiltily about it later - _no_, Skye didn't give a damn about the sentimental value of this particular ring. To him the ring was defined by the smooth shine of its gold band, the star-like quality of its diamond stud and the fact that it was worth a heck of a lot (hopefully).

He did, however, think about it as he thought about anything in life: indifferently and wryly. People were so fast - too fast, in his opinion – in putting a material value on declarations of love and this ring, whilst lovely and undeniably beautiful, was just another example of that.

He placed the ring in his pocket and scanned the room, eyes darting into its hidden crevices and evaluating object after object until they landed on something else worth his thieving fingers.

x x x

"So, Lu, _where _is this ring anyway?" Jill asked, noticing her bare, jewel-less finger as Lumina gave her a page of instructions detailing floral arrangements.

"Yeah, where is it?" Muffy and Celia chorused. Nami placed her book on catering down and glanced at Lumina, silently curious.

Lumina beamed. "It's about time you asked to see it." The girls waited expectantly and Lumina elaborated, "It's not on me though. I asked Sebastian to take it to the blacksmith in Mineral Town so it could be fitted properly." She bit her lip thoughtfully and glanced at the clock before adding, "You know, it's probably still in his office now I think about it - I don't think he's leaving for another hour or so."

Jill, who had been skimming the '_how to'_ section on Moondrop bouquets, jumped at the opportunity to procrastinate reading further – it was, after all, incredibly boring. "I can grab it, if you'd like."

"Oh Jill, that'd be fantastic. His study is just down the hall, the second room on the right."

x x x

"Now, where did Lumina say Sebastian's room was?" An unfamiliar voice trickled in through the crack in the door and Skye froze, not having expected company mid burglary. He been _so _careful too, initiating his theft when he noticed the youngest resident was otherwise preoccupied with guests. "Was it the second or third door on the right?"

Skye was and had always been a proactive man. After all, not just _any _thief could warn his victims pre-emptively and successfully complete a heist. This fact would explain why, seconds later, he slinked behind the door and hid, ready to pounce at a moment's notice.

He held his breath as if he were underwater and waited.

The footsteps stopped.

_No, no. _Skye willed silently.

A pause.

A handful of heartbeats rose into his throat.

_Please don't come in here, _he begged.

The door creaked open anyway.

Light flooded into the room and revealed his intruder. He assessed her slender frame momentarily and then sprung, pinning her against the wall and placing his palm over her mouth. Her eyes – a truly spectacular shade of purple – widened and Skye could see his own reflection clearly in her terrified, saucer-like orbs.

He leant in, breathing against her ear. "Sorry princess, can't have you screaming - it might blow my cover." He paused before adding as an afterthought: "Although I am sorry to conceal your beauty with my hand."

In a manner that could only be described as half seductive and half threatening Skye pressed his body against hers and removed his hand from her mouth, tentative finger by tentative finger.

She licked her lips, as if trying to cleanse her mouth from his touch with her tongue. "I'm a little confused." She stated boldly despite the nervous tremble that flowed from her body to Skye's, "are you hitting on me or attacking me?"

Skye arched his brows over his nose, conflicted. "In all honesty fair maiden, it depends." He traced delicate circles up her arm and goose bumps trailed after his fingernails the way thunder follows lightning.

A memory drifted to the front of his mind, like a forgotten bottle washed ashore.

_"There's a new girl in town. Her name's Jill and she's a farmer. I bet you'll think she's pretty, Griffin."_

He had been eavesdropping on the curvy wench at the bar for his own amusement and he was glad that now something mildly useful had eventuated from it. That being, this women's name.

"It depends on what?" She asked, tugging him back to present-day.

"Well, you must understand, it's not often someone as lovely as you catches me in the act of thievery." He kept one arm firmly snaked around her and used the other to gesture lazily to the vanity he had been combing through earlier.

_Jill _gulped noisily and he could feel her wild heartbeat against his chest.

"You're stealing something?" She clarified, confused.

"No, not '_something'_ – that's far too vague, but I will admit I like the mysteriousness of it."

"What exactly are you stealing?" The girl replied in contempt and Skye smirked; he played with victims the way cats play with mice and this one was quite _entertaining. _

"A ring."

"So you're stealing a ring - how does that answer my original question?" She asked boldly and then softly, more nervously: "are you going to hurt me?"

"Patience. I admit I _originally_ came to steal this ring but the rareness of your beauty rivals the rareness of this treasure." She blushed and he could only presume she was putty in his flirtatious hands, "and because of that I would love to steal your heart away as well."

"Who_, exactly_, do you think you are?" She squirmed in his grasp and he relented slightly as she continued, "to even _suggest_ something as ridiculous as that – you do know it's ridiculous, right? I swear if that line has _ever_ worked for you -"

"I'm Skye," He interrupted, cutting her tangent short and addressing the first half of it. "Although perhaps I can entice you with my more colourful alias: The Prince of the Stars."

"You're that bloody crook who warns all of his victims? _God, _I'm an idiot for not realising this sooner." Skye was positive that had Jill been able to move her hands they would have been over her face, concealing it. But they weren't and as Skye stared down at her he was able to see a myriad of expressions spelled out for him –humiliation, anxiousness and most notably, fear.

"Ah, so you've heard of me." He remarked with delight.

"Don't get too excited. The valley is hardly erecting statues in your honour." She pointed out and Skye was impressed that, given her position, she had the audacity to insult him.

"I didn't expect that. It just pleased me that a maiden such as yourself knew of me."

Back on topic: "Well a 'maiden such as myself' _does _know about the likes of you, _so,_" she took a deep breath, "you can put a lid on the whole flirting idea"

"That's quite unfortunate, I was hoping you would be more cooperative. I must ask though: what exactly is the 'likes of me?" He asked, his lips curling dangerously, snakelike.

"A filthy _criminal._" She spat, eyes narrowing.

"There is more to me than being a thief." He stated calmly.

She scoffed. "Like what?" Jill's eyes fell harshly onto his attire – leopard-print silk shirt, leather pants, and an assortment of bracelets. "Winning fashion sense?"

"I think you'll find what is underneath my clothes more to your liking, love." Skye said with an unperturbed wink. "But seeing as flirting is off the table you've lost your chance to find out." He dropped his head to the left side of her face, his silver hair draping against her shoulder as he whispered into her ear: "Chick-beam-fire." He said the words slowly, letting his tongue meander over each letter and the effect was instantaneous.

With a jolt Skye felt Jill's body snap still against his, as if ice had pumped through her veins and frozen her solid and still. The lines of her face begged the silent question: _what have you done to me?_

"You can move your lips." Skye answered calmly, casually before going on to say, "you know, just in case you wanted to reconsider the 'flirting' thing, love."

She stared furiously and with a surprising amount of dignity said: "as tempting as the offer is I think I'll pass."

"_Shame_." Skye murmured, cupping her cheek gently and stroking the edge of her chin delicately, dangerously.

Jill was silent and at that he stepped away and flitted out of the door, disappearing into the hall with the ease magician's pull rabbits from hats.

x x x

"He stole my ring?" Lumina echoed in outrage after Jill told her what had happened in Sebastian's study.

"Yes." Jill confirmed and took a seat on the edge of her bed, her body sinking pleasantly into the mattress.

"So Jill, you know how I said you were on floral duty? I've changed my mind. You need to get that ring back." Lumina stated and the farmer grimaced.

"You did hear the part where the thief cast some freak-show magic on me?"

She shook her head. "No. I was too busy paying attention to the part where he stole my engagement ring."

Jill grabbed a nearby pillow and pressed it to her face, her voice muffled as she said: "Lu, you know you can't ask me to do this."

Lumina dragged her slender fingers through her hair, turning to face her. "_Please _Jillian. There are two things right now that are affecting my long term future happiness. The first is getting married to Rock in seven days and second is wearing that ring. "

"You have the blue feather, that's all you need right?" Jill replied, remaining surprisingly unyielding against her friend's pleas.

"_No, I can't just have the blue feather_. I need the ring. I need the ring Rock proposed to me with. I need it in seven days and I _need you_ to get it from that thief." Lumina demanded petulantly and if words had actions – which Jill often believed they did – Lumina's would be stamping their feet on the ground.

Jill looked around, desperately seeking support from the four silent women in the room. No one except Muffy met her eyes and the blonde barmaid shook her head and mouthed_ bridezilla_.

"Jill, please. It's my eternal happiness on the line." She pleaded.

The farmer inhaled sharply. "Fine. For you and Rock and your bloody god damn eternal happiness I will _try_."

* * *

If you asked Jill if she had anything in common with the thief she would have denied it vehemently – she was nothing, _nothing_ like that filthy, dishonest scum of a man. However, this wasn't entirely true. Like Phantom Skye, Jill was proactive and it was this quality that had her knocking on the Witch Princess' door at 6AM the next morning.

The Witch opened the door, her scarlet eyes narrowing when she saw who it was.

"You woke me up. You have thirty seconds to tell me what you want and why I shouldn't turn you into a toad for interrupting my sleep."

It should not have surprised Jill that the Witch Princess was not a morning person, but it did.

"I want some sort of protection charm for the spell the Phantom Thief has – Chick-Beam-Fire or something ridiculous like that." Jill said in one breath and then added, "As for the reason why you shouldn't turn me into a toad? Well, someone has to rescue the Harvest Goddess, right?"

The Witch Princess huffed as she conceded. "I suppose you are more useful human." She opened the door wider and as Jill entered she asked: "What did the spell do to you?"

"It paralysed me. I couldn't move my body for about ten minutes." Jill explained, hanging back by the entrance. The room was stiflingly warm and she credited that to the gigantic cauldron bubbling in its centre.

The Witch eyed Jill for a moment, thinking over her description. "It sounds like a very basic spell."

"Does that mean you can help me?"

The Witch was rearranging the multi-coloured vials on her bookshelf when she answered. "Maybe, maybe not." She grabbed several vials and moved towards the cauldron. "I can't just go out and give spells to everyone who asks, I have a reputation to uphold." She poured the contents of the lime-green one inside. "_Especially _protection ones." There was a loud pop followed by a sizzle and bang as the potion sprang to life.

"Look, Skye's a thief," Jill began to explain, "So it's safe to assume he stole whatever magic he possesses."

The smouldering cauldron began to emit spirals of smoke and the sight of the technicolour wisps claimed Jill's stare like a magnet.

"And?" The Witch prompted, coaxing the cork-screws of steam towards her nose with her hands and inhaling deeply.

"That means there's every possibility he could be coming for yours next!" Jill warned, pointing to the cauldron for dramatic flair. It wasn't entirely true but Jill knew her only chance to get help from The Witch was to trick her into thinking the thief was a common enemy.

The Witch paled. "You're right."

"I know." Jill nodded solemnly, the taste of her deception leaving a bitter aftertaste in her mouth. "The question is, what are you going to do about it?"

"I'll have the protection spell ready in an hour." The Witch crossed her arms across her chest and stared at her pointedly. "But I'm not doing it for you. I'm doing it because I'll need it when he comes for my magic." Jill nodded, satisfied.

An hour later Jill realised that, perhaps, spell was a loose term; The Witch handed her a delicate bracelet, littered with gold charms that twinkled up at her.

"It's a talisman but you may as well think of it as an imaginary shield." The Witch explained. "As long as you wear this his chic-beam won't work." Jill did up the clasp and smiled, this was better than expected. "Now get out of my house and start rescuing some sprites!"

The Witches tone compelled Jill to comply and as she wandered home the perfect plan fell into place.

It would almost be too easy, she thought.


	2. Three Meetings at the Goddess Pond

**A/N: **Skye and Jill take centre stage!

* * *

**Part Two**

**...in which they meet not one but three times at the Goddess Pond**

* * *

The enchanted charm bracelet weighed down Jill's hand like an anchor and it steadied her heartbeat, preventing her from drowning in a sea of nerves as she approached the Goddess Pond; Jill swung her arms with each stride and wondered, briefly, as the bracelet shifted coolly around her wrist, whether or not it was the magic making her feel so calm and collected.

As soon as she entered Skye's line of sight he called out to her: "I knew I'd see you again. Attracting pretty maidens is such a _curse_ of mine." His voice drifted from the lit up area of the pond and Jill marched towards it, towards him, and then halted when she reached the Sprite Tree.

"And it has _nothing_ to do with the fact that you stole from my friend." Jill tapped her foot impatiently against the ground, keeping a careful distance between the pair; memories of last night prompting her to be wary around the thief.

"Oh, I can assure you princess that you would have come regardless." There was a dark light in his eyes, an icy confidence that glinted in the moonlight; equal parts seductive and deadly. Jill shivered.

"Keep telling yourself that, Phantom." She said stiffly, folding her arms against her chest and demanding moments later: "I want my friends ring back."

"It's a shame returning it would defeat the purpose of stealing it, love." He patronized, rolling his eyes.

Jill bristled. Skye's cupidity, she decided, was going to be his downfall. A smile threatened the edges of her words as she voiced this fact, "you know, one day it won't just be greed that has you in shackles," and images of Skye being arrested drifted pleasantly to the forefront of her mind.

Skye's eyebrows shot up, disappearing into the silver strands of his hair. "Oh? Feel free to handcuff me to your bed anytime you'd like, maiden."

Jill flushed a little. "Seriously, don't you ever worry about being arrested?"

"Of course. But there'd be no fun in stealing without the risk." He explained. The moon disappeared behind a veil of cloud and the pair immediately became coated in shadows and dark angles.

"So that's why you do it - for the adrenaline?" Jill asked and Skye, much to her surprise, burst out laughing, tossing his head back and revealing a row of glowing, pearly teeth.

"Ha, I'm not that easy, love." He took a breath to collect his composure, the lines of mirth fading from his face as he exhaled. "You'll have to try harder if you want to know the mystery behind why I thieve."

"You're not easy?" A devilish expression danced across the farmer's pretty features before she went on to say, "I bet that's the first time you've said that to a girl."

He cast her words aside with a flick of his hair. "This banter – whilst enjoyable – is incredibly transparent. What are you _really _doing?" Skye's eyes narrowed, morphing into cat-like slits. The moon drifted to the foreground of the skies canvas once more; his pupils began to glow, silvery-blue and toxic.

"Like I said earlier, I want Lumina's ring back." Jill repeated, her tone growing weary.

"Yes, yes. I know." He replied, pacing from one side of the pond to the other. A pause, and then: "Let me guess you plan to lower my guard with this conversation and then attempt to take the ring back off me." He smoothed his fringe with a couple of fingers. "_Transparent." _

She shook her head. "No, not at all. My plan is to trade you this." Jill raised her hand and twisted it back and forth, drawing Skye's attention to the gold accessory with a soft, melodic jangle.

"A charm bracelet?" Skye inhaled, casting a withering glance to her outstretched arm. "Not interested, darling."

Jill tensed despite having expected this response. "Are you sure? Because I'd wager the enchantment it has is priceless."

He gave her a sharp look, curiosity sparking in his expression and then he repeated: "Enchantment?"

"Just a teensy, tiny protection charm." She crossed the distance between them and stood in front of him, nerves pulsing through her veins. "Go on, try and freeze me." Slowly, deliberately he leant in; she threaded the bracelet into her fingers anxiously.

It was déjà vu from the night before and at that the farmer swallowed, her mouth dry.

Jill could feel his breath, light and hot, against her ear as he whispered into it: "_Chic beam fire_."

Nothing - absolute, undeniable nothingness. Jill's shoulder slumped in relief. _Nothing_ had happened. She exhaled the breath she hadn't realised was clinging to the insides of her throat.

_Nothing. _She smiled.

With a surge of confidence Jill proposed: "So, here's my offer - Lumina's ring for this." In a single fluid motion she unclasped the bracelet, unwound it from her wrist and dangled it tauntingly in front of Skye's face. She couldn't help but marvel at the way it reflected the moonlight, swinging back and forth like a pendulum and glittering hypnotically – not unlike Skye's eyes, she mused.

"You've thought out quite the devilish ultimatum." Jill could tell he was stalling, the current circumstances having taken him by obvious surprise. His confidence never faltered though, not even for one single, fluttering heartbeat. "My darling, it seems you are wicked like me." He leant back, _satisfied_, smirking still.

Skye's insinuation turned Jill's blood to boil. "Yes because the man whose known me for less than two hours knows me _so _well. Did you come with a magic eight ball as well by any chance? Because _honestly,_ you're just so full of crap." She snapped.

He tugged at the necklace peeking through the layers of his clothes and Jill watched him plan out his next words carefully, his jaw clenching and unclenching. "I know plenty about you, darling." He claimed and went on to inform: "I know you didn't want to come here but you did for your dear friend Lumina – which tells me you're either loyal or selfless or both." He had been eavesdropping on them, Jill realized angrily. "I know you got that enchantment from the Witch Princess, which would not have been easy and," he took a breath and it fell onto Jill's ears like an explosion, "not only did you get the bracelet but you managed to use it to outsmart me. Quite diabolical, really." He raised his eyebrows at her, daring her to disagree and when no such contempt came he asked: "And now I am curious of what you think of me?"

"I don't think of you." She scoffed and he shook his head.

"See, now I know you are a liar as well." Skye said over his shoulders as he hastened towards the Sprite Tree. Jill glanced down into the depths of the Goddess Pond and her reflection shimmered back at her like a mirage.

"Tell me how you came to that conclusion _– please_, I'm dying to know." Jill begged sarcastically.

"Your plan, with the ring exchange – it worked. A fact I'm sure you knew from the moment you told me about the enchantment." She had, of course, presumed her victory but it was nice to have it confirmed none the less. "Yet it wouldn't have worked on just anyone. You must have thought about what I'm like in order to be sure I'd accept."

There was an assassin-like calculation under the cool detachment of Skye's demeanour and it was as Jill noted the x-ray quality to his blue eyes that she realized he wasn't stalling but _toying. _He had been manipulating her, gauging her reactions and siphoning them into the back of his mind for later use.

Despite this fact, and the myriad of thoughts being processed in the back of her mind - none of which were at all flattering to the thief - Jill replied quickly, easily, in one breath: "I know you send those notes because you want people to think you're arrogant." A pause. "However, in reality, you warn your victims because you want the pretence of a fair fight. You want your victims to believe that, despite their best efforts, you managed to best them – so to speak." (Haughtily). "But you're a coward. You have this unfair advantage with your magic spell and I would go as far to say that you couldn't steal knowing I could undermine it." (Assuredly). "And _that_ is why I knew you would accept my deal."

Seeming unfazed by her comments, Skye noted: "Beautiful _and _clever. Perhaps a jewel such as yourself _is_ more precious than treasure after all." He inspected his nails as he addressed her, flicking the dirt from their tips and the femininity of the action amused Jill slightly.

"It's a shame you can't steal me and sell me for gold." She mocked, crouching down and trailing bubbles through the water with the tip of her index finger.

Skye's lips curved wryly. "Yes, it is. I think you'd be less irritating that way."

"I didn't come here to be insulted." She clipped, eyes hardening into violet ice.

"_Oh?_" He smiled. "Did you come here for the alternative? Come here and let me whisper sweet nothings into your ear." Skye purred; Jill recoiled.

"_Goddess no. _For only the _third time _I'm here for my friends ring."

He fixed her with a curious stare. "And yet the bargain has transpired - so why are you still here?"

She removed her hand from the water and stood up, the air stinging the water droplets on her finger as she did so. "You're right. Tomorrow, same time and place?"

He nodded. "Sweet dreams, Jill. I know I'll enjoy mine of you." His eyes raked her body; baiting her, begging her anger to rise out of her like lava from a volcano but she stared back, face unreadable, lips steady and silent.

A long paused stretched out and with a simple, "goodbye Skye," she sliced it and left, leaving a somewhat infuriated silver haired thief behind.

x x x

That damn farmer.

That damn, bloody, _genius _farmer.

These thoughts circled in Skye's mind like vultures as he watched Jill's silhouette bleed down the pathway and away from sight.

He was going mad, that had to be it; the reason she had been able to play him like such a fool. It simply was the only explanation, it simply _had to be it. _There was no way Jill had legitimately, genuinely outsmarted him. She had seen through him like he was a piece of glass, too, a small voice pointed out and if Skye had paid more attention to it he would have realized something rather important.

Instead, Skye dwelled on the fact that he never lost. Not ever. Not even that time he was trapped on top of Doug's Inn with Harris and Duke waving pitchforks at him or when Gotz had chased him in furious stomps all the way up Mother Hill and towards the Valley.

_No._ Skye shook his head in frustration, getting up to leave. He _never_ lost and surely, surely this would be no different.

And then, like clockwork, the gears in his mind shuddered and began to spin. The answer, he came to realize as his silhouette bled down the pathway and away from the pond, was so laughably simple and whatever shreds of honour he had be damned; the farmer would never see it coming.

He smiled, more Cheshire cat than human. _No_, he _never_ lost.

* * *

The moonlight was generous to the thief.

The next evening Jill admitted this fact. She wandered up the pathway and her eyes were drawn to the figure slanted over the Goddess Pond, his back to her. The evenings pale glow spilled onto him, spinning liquid silver into the strands of his hair and igniting the cording of muscle that stretched subtly along his arms. She stopped under the Sprite Tree and from that angle, where Jill couldn't see the sharp tautness of Skye's cheekbones or the arrogant cut of his lips, the thief looked almost angelic.

Then the image, predictably, shattered as soon as he spoke, turning to face her and murmuring, "your beauty puts this scenery to shame," as his eyes fell on hers – blue melting into purple.

"Did you practise that line before you came here?" She asked, more to be obnoxious than because she cared about his reply.

"Of course not. Being charming comes naturally to me, dear." He said, winking through his spider-web lashes.

Straight to the point: "Speaking of charm, shall we trade?"

"You're not going to indulge me in small talk and pleasantries?"

Jill arched her eyebrows and in a harsh, derisive tone challenged. "I would if you were at all pleasant."

"Such a firecracker." Skye observed, the air of mocking surrounding his voice almost tangible. "I'm _so_ going to miss our little rendezvous'."

She stared at him coolly for a few moments and then responded with an equally acerbic: "Alas, all good things must come to an end." Jill tugged the bracelet from her wrist delicately.

"It's been a pleasure doing business with you." The silver haired man reached into the folds of his clothes and pulled out the ring.

There was hardly anything separating the deal from completion. One exchange – swiftly, easily executed and it would all be over.

And so, seconds later, it was.

Jill took the ring, unzipped her pocket and placed it inside before giving it a protective pat. If she had thought about the finality of the gesture, and how perhaps this was the last time she would see Skye, it was only for a moment.

And then she turned away, whispering, "goodbye then, thief," as much to the descending pathway as to Skye.

And if, as she walked off, the thought of not seeing Skye again filled her with an inexplicable, undeniable sadness that made her want to whirl around and rush back to the Goddess Pond it was only for a moment and she could tell herself it had never been there; not really, not ever, not at all.

* * *

Ten hours later Jill came to discover, as she attempted to give the ring back to its rightful owner, that she had been swindled.

The ring _was _beautiful. A delicate band woven with an intricate diamond and spun in glistening, glimmering gold - or, at least, _the illusion _of that.

The ring, however, _was not _Lumina's.

* * *

The third time they met at the Goddess Pond it resembled a looking-glass. As a result of this Skye, who was sitting perched on the edge of it, saw Jill's reflection before he saw her; a somewhat distorted haze of Jill staring furiously up at him. He had rolled up his black pants into perfect symmetrical creases at his knees and his feet were dipped in the water.

"The ring is fake. Well played." Jill congratulated insincerely and because she was standing and he was sitting her reflection seemed to loom over him like a sky scraper. "Now hand the _real_ ring over, please."

He pulled back a fraction, placing his palms face down on the ground and leaning on them so it was only his body that was cast on the ponds canvas. "Sorry to disappoint you love but I can't do that."

"Yes, you can and you will." She sat down cross legged next to him and noticed how, underwater, his ivory legs became pale to the point of being translucent – almost like a ghost, she thought.

"Perhaps I shall speak in a language you will understand." He paused, shifting the weight on his hands and adopted a more sarcastic, Jill-like tone. "Yes, maiden. I'll hand over this ring instead of selling it for a small fortune. Wait right here while I jet back home and grab it."

"Look scoundrel, 'this ring' is priceless!" Her reflection turned to look at him angrily but he chose to stare at the stream of chestnut that was left behind; a brown crescent moon of hair twinkling on the ponds surface.

Shaking his head: "Even better. Now I_ definitely_ want to hand it over."

"God damn it Skye, enough with your games. Give me the bloody ring."

"Tsk, language, m'dear." He chastised.

Jill tilted her head back in exasperation, pleading with the heavens. "For the love of the goddess…_"_ A single, deep breath later: "I can't force you to give the ring back, as much as I'd like to." She inhaled, mulling over the next words carefully. "However, we had a deal and I can just as easily go back to the Witch Princess and get a new bracelet." It was a bluff and there was every chance Skye would see through it and read the distorted lines cast by her reflection like a book. Still, she continued, "so, why don't you give me the ring back so we can rip the figurative Band-Aid off this whole ordeal?"

"Considering there are _other things_ I would rather rip off you, what do you say to a new bargain?"

Realizing this was the closest thing to progress Jill had had with the thief all evening she conceded. "I'm listening."

"You'll have to do something for me." He explained.

Jill rolled her eyes, smearing tiny purple circles onto the water. "Well, yeah… that's usually how bargains work." Instead of elaborating Skye tossed a couple of stones into the lake, inflicting miniature earth-quakes onto their mirrored forms. To a whirlpool of colours she prompted: "What exactly do you want from me?"

"All in due time, fair maiden. Patience is an incredibly attractive virtue – not that you need to be any more beautiful." Their reflections flickered like a dying flame as the water settled. "Don't worry though, it won't be anything I haven't done before."

"Funny how that doesn't comfort me at all."

"So, do we have a deal?"

"Nothing illegal, okay?" She stated firmly.

"Nothing illegal." He affirmed.

"Then we have a deal."

Their fingers seeped together and the image of their shaking hands flitted in and out of focus against the backdrop of water. Moments later the figures stood up, reflections entwining into a kaleidoscope before vanishing completely, their presence against the Goddess Pond nothing more than tiny ripples.


	3. Skye cooks her curry

**A/N: **One word: sexual-tension.

**Cheetos: **Thanks for reviewing the last two chapters. I'm glad you're enjoying their little game of cat and mouse – it's such a blast to write!

* * *

**Part three**

…**in which he cooks her curry**

* * *

Keeping the ring would be as simple as sprinkling uncooked red grass on her curry.

(Red grass was a mildly poisonous herb that when consumed raw causes the person to faint).

"_It's just a bit of foreign seasoning, love. The spice is exotic, just like your beauty."_

That is what Skye planned to say when he handed her the dish.

"_Maiden, you look a little pale. Perhaps you should lie down?"_

He would gently coax the farmer to her bed – Skye was, after all, not entirely heartless.

"_You look like sleeping beauty, princess. Would you like me to kiss you awake?"_

However, Jill would already be asleep and at this point he would slip out with Lumina's ring.

It would be that simple.

* * *

_I'll be at your place at midnight to collect._

_~ Phantom Skye_

Jill dropped the note onto her bedside table and shuddered, suddenly feeling cold despite the humidity of the summer night. She peered at her watch - he was due any second now – and then her eyes fell onto her hands. Jill squinted sadly at the blisters and permanent crusting's of dirt that outlined the insides of her palm. They were so ugly, she realised, not at all ladylike.

These thoughts, unsurprisingly, were just a distraction from the more pressing issue that was Skye (_what did he want?)._

Perhaps she could paint her nails though, she considered stubbornly. She was positive she had a pretty purple colour tucked in her draw somewhere.

Her clock chimed signalling midnight (_where was he?)._

No, it wasn't purple nail polish, she realized upon further consideration; it was actually a pink colour, an almost orange shade – like sunset. It would probably be with the rest of her make up, in the second draw...

Suddenly, a knock, and then two more. _Skye. _Jill breathed a sigh of relief.

She rushed to the door and wrenched it open to admit the thief's smirking figure. "Excited to see me?" He asked Jill, evidently misinterpreting her eagerness, and she shook her head.

"Excited to get this whole ordeal over and done with, actually." She replied smoothly. The door closed behind her with a click.

"I'll put you out of your misery then." Skye said, striding over to her kitchen to place a couple of bags on the counter. Jill trailed behind him and then leant over his shoulder to watch him unpack the contents of the first, slightly larger bag. "Tonight, darling, you have the great honour of trying my curry as payment."

He reached for the second bag as she replied: "That's all? A little anticlimactic, really."

"Trust me when I say there's _always_ a climax with me." He responded flippantly.

A red herb nestled underneath a packet of rice caught Jill's attention and she reached for it, grabbing his hand accidently as she did so (the nerve ending on her fingertips sparked to life). At once, with his lightning bolt reflexes, Skye wound his fingers through hers, spun himself round and drew her towards him.

Jill swallowed; he was close, _so _close and she could count the specks of green in his eyes and feel his breath on hers lips as he breathed into them: "_Goddess. _It's about time you gave in to my charms."

"That's red grass." She said by way of explanation and he looked at her both intently and confused, his expression silently asking Jill what her point was. Convinced Skye's ignorance was, in fact, a lie that concealed an elaborate trap to harm her, she pointed out smugly: "It's poisonous."

Sighing, he let go off her hand and leant back against the counter.

"It's poisonous when _eaten raw_." Skye inhaled sharply, annoyed. "In other words, I'll cook it out and just use the flavour. It's quite spicy so I hope you're a maiden who can handle a bit of _heat_." He said heat with the sort of seduction that should be saved for the bedroom and Jill flushed, the hairs on the back of her neck jolting up as if they had been electrocuted. His stare sizzled with a tremendous amount of intensity and Jill could feel her body's unwelcome response in the stampede of her heart and flutter inside her ribcage.

It was just, Jill decided, that she wasn't used to such forwardness. She wasn't used to people like Skye - people who exhaled sensuality with the ease she inhaled air - and that was why her body was burning to figurative ashes.

"Oh, right. Yeah, I can handle some heat…I mean _spice_." Jill took a deep breath and the force of air expelled her heart from her throat. "I can handle spicy food," She finished a little awkwardly. Skye turned around to finish unpacking.

"That's my girl." He replied and Jill knew from the taunting, blade-like edge of his tone that he knew exactly how much his words grated on her nerves.

However, Jill let her retort die on her lips; she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of her exasperation, instead: "So, why do you know so much about curry?"

Skye reached for the cutting board and knife located underneath the bench and he began to chop the ingredients in rapid slices.

"I pride myself on making excellent curries. I have travelled the world, stealing more treasure and hearts than I could count on both hands, but nothing delights me as much as curry."

"Which one is your favourite?" Skye blinked up at her, confused and silent, and Jill went on to explain: "You know, which colour – blue, green, purple..." She listed the various types on her fingers.

"Coloured curry?" He wrinkled his nose and hovered over to the stove and switched it on. "How _pedestrian_. My favourite is finest curry."

Jill gave him a look. "I'm _shocked. _Trust _you_ of all people to pick the hardest curry to make as your favourite."

"Am I getting predictable, love?" He asked, tossing the mixture into the pan and a quiet sizzling of spice soon followed. "I would loathe to think I was boring such splendid company."

Jill didn't answer and they were silent for quite some time. By the time she spoke again Skye had added onions, potatoes and rice to the pan. "Why do you do it? You know, the_ thieving_." She said thieving the way some say murderer; equal parts repulsed and judgmental.

"And we were getting along _so well _for about five minutes." He said accusingly.

Jill leant against the bench top and nodded, replying solemnly as she did, "Exactly. If we let that continue it would set a bad precedent."

The farmer swore she saw a flicker of hurt in Skye's eyes but it vanished as soon as she blinked. His gaze sparkled deceptively at her, pretty and blue. "You know what I think..."

"Oh, _oh _I can't wait to hear this." She interrupted, fingers tapping against the benches wooden surface.

He set the spoon down and strode over to the other side of the counter so he was facing her directly. "I think you're afraid to define me as anything but a thief and to see me for the person I _really _am." A pause. "You're afraid." He repeated and his voice swelled with confidence. "You're afraid because if you take away the fact that I _permanently borrow items_ you might see that I'm right - we're more similar than you care to admit." Another pause and Jill's hand froze. "In fact, I'd wager you would quite like what's left behind."

Jill, uncomfortable with the turn the conversation had taken, casted the attention back onto the man in front of her. "You know, I would have thought you would be used to people not trusting you."

"Because I'm a thief?" Skye shook his head and returned to the stove. "That was a futile question, of course_ you'd_ think that. Tell me, is it lonely up there on your high horse?" He shot her a withering, side-along glance before tasting his sauce. He smacked his tongue, seemingly satisfied.

"Oh, shush. You call yourself _Phantom Thief - _that's practically asking for it." She pointed out to which he smiled, looking somewhat bemused. "Besides, 'permanently borrow' – _really_?"

"Stealing is such an unpleasant word." He smirked widely; she rolled her eyes.

At that, the air around them seemed to clear and become lighter, the tension from earlier evaporating with the billows of steam clouding around Skye. Jill watched him as he cooked, drawn to the methodical way he stirred the curry – five swirls clock-wise, a ten second break and then repeat. His teeth were caught between his lips in concentration and the look of it, of him being so focused, was both strange and somewhat lovely in Jill's opinion.

Five or so minutes later he stepped back from the spice-scented stove, smiling.

"Take a seat, love. Dinner shall be ready shortly." He called out over the bubble of the sauce boiling on the stove and Jill obliged.

Skye appeared at the table soon after, impressively clutching two bowls and a glass of water. She eyed the one he placed in front of her sceptically – he _did _put red grass in it, the cautious voice inside her head warned.

As if noticing her trepidation he said, _"relax, _I promise it's not poisonous. I'd never dream of harming a beautiful woman such as yourself." Skye sat down and crossed one leg over the other.

"Only an ugly one?" She deadpanned before shoving a spoonful of curry into her mouth.

"You know, most men would find your sarcasm unbearable." Skye told her unapologetically and Jill shrugged, her mouth full.

She swallowed, enjoying the way the curry seemed to warm her from the inside out, and then: "Is this the part where you tell me you're not like most men?"

"No – I would have thought that was obvious. However, it _is _the part where I tell you that it only makes you more radiant."

Jill just stared (and her heart skipped a beat or two). "You're intolerable."

Skye shrugged, nonchalant. "That would wound my ego if I thought you actually meant it."

"Who says I don't?"

"You can't lie to a liar, dear." Jill scowled at the thief's words, and he swiftly changed the subject. "How's the curry?"

The farmer's mouth was burning slightly from the spices and, as if response to Skye's question, she placed her cutlery back onto the plate for a few moments; Skye watched her as she did, eyes challenging.

"Delicious, actually." Jill said eventually with a note of surprise. Skye looked a bit offended, and she added: "I just wasn't expecting 'The Prince of the Stars' to be such a good cook." Her forehead was beginning to sweat though and her hair was clinging unattractively to it, so she took a sip of cool water.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it." He dropped his gaze to the curry. "Truth be told, I always feel like my curries are lacking something," he admitted, and then took a mouthful and swallowed. "I feel like I'm missing some sort of secret ingredient or I'm following the steps in a recipe but in the wrong order."

"Is that so?" She asked and thought his words over in her mind. "Well, you should keep practising then. _Apparently_," Jill went on wisely, "it leads to perfection."

Her advice hung in the air for several seconds before Skye spoke: "You can't imagine, love, how easy it is to believe in the possibility of perfection when someone like you is sitting in front of me."

Jill knew Skye spun lies like spiders weave webs but there was something in the light of his eyes, a sincerity she never would have associated with him until now - until it was staring undeniably at her through a curtain of long, silver lashes and compelling her to believe his words.

Perhaps more surprising then Skye's candour, however, was the blush emerging on the edges of her cheekbones. It was a delicate pink and tinted her face with an emotion that she bottled as soon as she realized what it was, stifling it before dared to rise any further, screwing the lid back on with such a swiftness that she blamed it's existence on momentary insanity. (Delight).

"Is it a bit spicy for you, love?" Skye asked, leaning in and appraising her flushed complexion with a teasing once over.

Jill took a long sip of water. "It's a bit _poisonous. _I'm sure I'm about to collapse any second now." She retorted in a heartbeat but the effect of her words was lost when she took another spoonful of curry moments later.

"No need to fret then. I'll be more than happy to administer CPR should it be required,"(his words sent electric shivers through Jill's veins).

The farmer glared at him and proceeded to ask, vexed: "Has anyone ever told you how ridiculous your flirting is?"

"Has anyone ever told you how absolutely beautiful you are when you're flustered?" He countered and the tense of his jaw signalled to Jill that he was holding back a grin.

The farmer didn't respond and during the lull in conversation the pair were suspended in the sound of chink, chime and scrape of forks against china. Perhaps, Jill thought, given their history, the silence should have been awkward but as it was she found it rather peaceful.

Later, she spoke up and asked, "Where'd you get the necklace from?" whilst gesturing to the pendant sitting just below his collarbone; Jill was curious, having noticed that he'd spin it between his fingers during those rare moments he was nervous or unsure. "Or, should I say _who _did you get the necklace from?"

"_Funny_." Skye remarked, running a single finger along the top of his glass, his gaze wistful. "My father, actually. It's an heirloom from my ancestors." He paused before going on to tell her, "It's my most treasured possession, believe it or not."

"It's stunning." She observed, eyeing its metallic polish.

"As are you." Skye's lips quirked into a smile. "You know, apparently, it's used in my family to help attract the affections of princesses." He crooned. She raised an unimpressed eyebrow and he defended himself, "it's what my father told me. According to him, my ancestor accidentally followed a butterfly into the home of royalty and ended up betrothed to the women who caught him." He fingered its pendant absentmindedly as he told her, "all thanks to this necklace."

"And how's that working for you? Attracted any princesses yet?" She asked, toying with a strand of hair and looping it around the top of her finger. Had Jill been in the company of anyone else it would have been a flirtatious gesture but she was with the thief so it wasn't (or so she told herself, anyway).

"You tell me, darling." Skye lent back into his seat and then tilted his head at her, his silver hair sliding over his shoulder, questioning.

"I hate to break it to you but I only put out after three dinners." Jill joked without thinking and he smiled at her quip.

"How tragic. I bet my ancestors are absolutely devastated right now."

"Probably." Jill conceded with a smile before moving to pick up the plates and take them to the sink. She flicked the tap on and began rinsing them slowly, paying special attention to the ridges on the knives. She was halfway through scrubbing the pan when she asked: "You know, have you ever considered entering a cooking contest?" He stared at her enquiringly and she continued, "World class gourmets travel to the villages around here in spring to taste our food and select the best. This one girl, Ann, impressed the Mineral Town judge so much that he paid for her to go to cooking school in the city."

He shook his head, silver strands shimmering under the light. "I've only ever cooked curry for myself and now you," and with growing vulnerability in his tone he added, "I'd be too afraid of failure to let anyone else try it – _especially _a world class gourmet."

Not quite knowing what to make of this confession Jill remained silent for a while, knotting her hands together and twirling her thumbs, staring at him over a pile of clean dishes. "You know, that's probably the most genuine thing you've ever said to me."

Skye placed his hand over his heart theatrically before moaning dramatically. "Maiden, why must you offend me so?" His face lit up, eyes wicked as he said: "This girl doth make my heart bleed." Jill laughed and he dropped his arms, looking pleased and, moments later, he claimed: "Jill, you must know though - I have meant _everything _I've said to you." Her chest hitched; it was the first time he had said her name and she found herself yearning to hear him say it again and again and again. His mouthed curved. "Or, at least, I have meant everything I've said tonight."

The words fell from Skye's lips and onto the pair like a flint; striking the air around them and setting it on fire. As this happened, Jill realized, under the dim light of her kitchen with their soap-studded dishes in front of her and the smell of curry still lingering in the air that she - (and for quite some time _had) - _wanted Skye's words to be true.

Skye stared at her from his seat and she blushed (or perhaps she had been already and was only now realizing it).

_Oh Goddess;_ his blue eyes glowed more firefly then anything else.

"_That's my girl."_

The room crackled.

"_I'd never dream of harming a beautiful woman such as yourself."_

With a dull scrape he slid out of his chair and moved towards her.

"_You can't imagine, love, how easy it is to believe in the possibility of perfection when someone like you is sitting in front of me."_

Her heart was jolting.

"_Has anyone ever told you how absolutely beautiful you are when you're flustered?"_

With each footstep their surroundings faded away one by one – the table, the counter, the kitchen – until it was just them.

"_It's stunning."_

_"As are you."_

Skye stopped in front of her and his proximity sent almost tangible sparks of intensity towards her.

"_You're afraid."_

Jill swallowed, mouth suddenly dry.

"_In fact, I'd wager you would quite like what's left behind."_

She did.

He reached out and Jill was so sure he was going to draw her closer, so sure that she'd _let him _but his hands dropped to his pockets, reaching for the ring that belonged to Lumina. She exhaled slowly and took a step back, ignoring the way her stomach was spiralling in disappointment.

"As promised, love."

_Love. _There it was. The mocking pet name and verbal sign of her foolishness. Jill berated herself for the several heartbeats she spent believing that this wasn't all just a game to Skye and for considering, even for a moment, that her heart was more than just a series of strings he could pull for his amusement.

Two could play at his game, she thought, while saying, "Thank you, Phantom." She was in control now. Voice: cool, collected and teetering on indifference.

Skye placed the ring on the counter with a soft clink.

"_Phantom_." He repeated the nickname softly, seemingly taken aback. Moments later he wanted to know: "Is this the part where the maiden requests I vanish into the night because dawn is coming?"

"It is." She agreed, moving towards the door and pulling it open slowly. Cool air filled the room.

"Sweet dreams then." He murmured before stepping out into the evening; a single outline of silver on a canvas of black.

Jill closed the door quickly and her thoughts transported her back in time to Lumina's mansion.

She froze, remembering and realizing all at once.

"_I would love to steal your heart away as well."_

He had.


	4. Summer the 12th

**A/N: Piece of advice: never try and write about fate. It gives headaches. Big ones. **

**Cheetos: Again, thank you so much for your review :) I hope you enjoy the ending. **

**AsianFlipGurl: This is the last chapter! Please enjoy the Jill/Skye feels :,) **

* * *

In a not too distant future Jill would argue against Skye's claim that fate had struck on the night of summer sixth. She did this because, upon further consideration, it became apparent to the farmer that although the fight over the ring had been the catalyst for their happy ending it didn't explain how they came to be in love – not exactly, anyway.

Fate, they came to understand, had occurred during the series of events that took place on summer the twelfth.

Whether you agree with them is up to you.

* * *

**Part Four**

**Summer the Twelfth**

* * *

Flora always woke up exactly one hour after the sun had risen, and she rather liked it that way. It meant that the tent was warm – having spent an hour under the sun's rays – but hadn't reached the point of being stiflingly hot, and also that the first sound she heard every day was a chorus of birds tweeting pleasantly in the distance.

It also meant that she always, _always _was the first one to read the paper and mail – this, too, she rather liked because it meant she didn't have to wait for Carter to trawl through each and every page before she could read the news.

So, as to be expected, on the morning of summer the twelfth it was Flora who found the thief's note.

_At midnight I'll be helping myself to the valuables in your tent._

_~ Phantom Skye_

* * *

**Before…**

* * *

Jill's cow – a white and black female named Daisy - had died.

This much was apparent to Jill when she opened the door to her barn the next morning, her eyes falling on the animals still form at almost the exact same moment a sheep cried out for fodder.

She breathed deeply in an attempt to calm the wave of nausea consuming her; Daisy had died, her cow had died... Jill could have blamed the thief for what had happened - in fact, it would have been very, very easy for her to do so. After all, if _he _hadn't stole Lumina's ring then _she _wouldn't have, in the process of getting it back, been so distracted that she forgot her farm duties. She didn't though, because even in that moment – her eyes were screwed shut and she was pinching her nose – the farmer was rational enough to know that Daisy's death had been entirely her fault - o_f course _it was her fault. After all, it had been she, not Skye, who had neglected their duties.

Jill leant against the door of the barn and gripped the sides of the door, knuckles turning red and then white. She wondered (and not for the first time) why _she _had been chosen to save the Valley – why it was _her _destiny. In the end she was Jill – _just Jill – _whom, besides from rescuing a handful of sprites, had accomplished nothing. It wasn't as if there weren't other people who could do the job either – there was Jack from Mineral Town, Chelsea from Sunshine Islands – and Jill surrendered to the thought that both of them would have been far better equipped to this task than her.

Jill's body slid down the frame of the door and curled into the ground. Pathetically, desperately.

Oh goddess, _why had she been chosen?_

She couldn't think of an answer, and during the two hours she spent on the floor, she never did.

* * *

Skye was tired – exhausted, even. His thin, almost invisible eyebrows were furrowed and the lines of his mouth were taut, and black circles smudged the creases of his eyes but, despite all that, he was awake; sheer, utter adrenaline fuelled him.

Skye was skulking between the clusters of trees near the peak of the Valley and eying the archaeologist's camp site with great interest. From his vantage point he could just squint through the foliage and make out a campfire – it was covered in ashes having assumedly died out during the early hours of the morning – and a fraying tent was located just to the left of it. Both these things were situated quite a distance away from the mine site. Another quick scan of the area told Skye that it was void of people, and once that was noted there was nothing else he really needed to observe.

And so, the adrenaline kicked up a notch and Skye's heart began to beat inside of his head.

There was just the mine site and a single piece of paper now.

Nothing else mattered.

His grip tightened on the note.

Nothing at all.

* * *

**After...**

* * *

Flora clenched her fist into a ball and with it she knocked frantically on the farmer's door. There was no immediate answer and Flora spent all but ten seconds waiting for one before knocking again...

…and again and again and again. She was met with silence. Flora's shoulders slumped and she eyed the note in her other hand angrily. If Flora hadn't been so furious about Skye's letter and preoccupied planning his incredibly painful murder she would have realised how unusual it was for Jill not to be home at this hour – usually the farmer had finished feeding her animals by now and would be cooking breakfast. Instead, she spent the duration of her time on the doorstep considering three ways she could kill Skye with a brooch.

She settled on the second idea – puncturing his windpipe – and stepped away.

Flora had heard from Lumina how Jill had outplayed the thief during the acquisition of her engagement ring and she had hoped Jill would be able to lend her a helping hand tonight because of that. Annoyed that, now, this wasn't going to be the case she scrunched up the letter (Skye's face) and hurled it at the door before storming off.

* * *

There was an hour until midnight and Jill couldn't sleep. Instead, she was standing on the bridge that closed the gap between Vesta's Farm and the rest of the Valley. The moon was full this evening – it resembled a shilling – and the stream of water beneath Jill fluttered like a silver ribbon. She dropped her head onto the railing in frustration, inhaling a whiff of timber as her nose collided with its surface.

"_Well, someone has to rescue the Harvest Goddess, right?" _

She had said that to The Witch Princess, hadn't she?

With her face tilted towards the ground Jill was able to watch the lake glisten between shades of white and grey and she tried to revel in how pretty it was – goddess, she _tried _because she would have any other night and she didn't want tonight to be any different. If tonight was different it meant that Daisy had actually died, and that she was failing, and that the chances of her rescuing the Harvest Sprites were rushing away like the water beneath her.

She sighed and pretended; tonight was just the same as any other night…

* * *

Skye had been travelling to and from Forget-Me-Not-Valley for the better part of two years and his route was always the same – follow the lining of cherry blossoms up and along Mother Hill, go right at the base and follow the path that was next to the lake.

Tonight, however, there was something new on his horizon and it was so subtle that only someone who had taken an identical route for almost two years could notice; a tiny pinprick of a person leaning against the railings of the bridge just past Vesta's farm.

He didn't recognize who it was until he got much closer and as soon as he did he called out to them, curiosity getting the better of him.

* * *

Just as Flora was about to enter the mine she turned around; she scanned her surroundings, keeping her eyes moving constantly as she sifted through the scenery, tree after tree after tree, _searching._

In the end she saw nothing unusual – well, no silver haired thief, which was what she had been looking for – and moments later, when she swore she heard a voice in the distance, she told herself she was just being paranoid and entered the mine.

* * *

"_Jill!" _

A voice, silky smooth, drifted towards her from some distance away and Jill didn't need to tilt her head towards the sound to identify whom had called her name.

"_Jill!" _He called out again and the farmer, realising he thought she hadn't heard him, turned to face Skye and visibly acknowledge his presence.

He was swiftly approaching her and it struck Jill just how beautiful he was. Of course, she had known all along that he was attractive - how could she not – but when she saw him now, coated in shadows and dark angles with those blue eyes that were shimmering in time with the stream, she was once again reminded of that fact.

Skye smiled curiously at her. "What are you doing out here so late, fair maiden?"

"I could ask you the same question." Jill replied at the same moment Skye stepped onto the bridge.

"You could, but I asked first." Skye paused and his grin turned devilish when he continued, "Besides, I'd hate to make you an accomplice."

"I'm out here thinking." Jill said and she turned back around so she faced the railing, her back to him. There was a brief second of deliberation before the farmer decided to pull herself up onto the balustrade, and after a series of careful manoeuvres her feet came to dangle somewhat precariously over the stream.

"Well, love, there's no need to jump – I'm here." He called out, voice light and joking as he gestured to her questionable position on the railing.

She looked back at him as she said: "Maybe that's why I'm jumping." Guiltily, she watched hurt map itself out onto the lines of Skye's face; eyebrows knitted, lips taut, eyes stony. Jill bit her lip. "Sorry, that was rude. I just have a lot on my mind."

"Penny for your thoughts then?"

The concern in his voice diffused Jill's quip about how he would just steal it anyway. Instead: "I'm just appreciating the fact that I'm still alive after consuming that curry of yours – questionable ingredients and all."

It was a lie and Jill was so sure Skye would see through its transparency like glass. However, he gave no indication that this assumption being true when he said: "Your lack of faith _wounds _me, darling. I swear I can actually feel bruises."

He rubbed his arm, indicating the faux-contusion she had supposedly caused.

She rolled her eyes at him before asking, dryly, "I suppose this is the part where you ask me to kiss it better?"

"Are you offering?" He countered, an eyebrow raised. Her heart skipped a beat.

She shifted her face and replied to the horizon instead of him (she was blushing). "Since when do you wait for permission?"

"You're flirting with me." He observed. She shrugged, nonchalant, still facing away. "That must mean something is _very _wrong. Tell me, what's troubling you, love?"

"You should give yourself more credit. Maybe I'm secretly in love with you." Voicing that sentence was a strange moment of half-sincerity and half-sarcasm for Jill; she knew Skye believed her words to be a joke but she wasn't entirely they were.

He laughed and it rang out like a wind chime. "And maybe I'm a secret agent instead of a thief."

"You would have to be the worst secret agent ever to end up in a place like this." Jill pointed out.

"I don't know, maiden. Have you _seen _that Murrey fellow? He's mighty suspicious if you ask me. I could be tailing him for all you know."

"True. Or, maybe Daryll and Gustafa have teamed up to form an illicit drug duo and you're here to bust them." A thought suddenly occurred to her and she voiced it: "Daryll's basement _is _always locked..."

He interrupted her but not before cracking an amused smile. "And _maybe _I'm here to interrogate a stubborn farmer about why she is up late and flirting with the likes of me."

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" Given the direction Jill was facing she couldn't see Skye shake his head. She did, however, feel the air shift as he perched himself up onto the railing next to her. With a sigh: "This place is getting to me. It's filled with things that I never believed possible, things I was taught not to believe in as a kid." Jill took a breath and listed them in one breath: "Mermaids, Witches, Goddesses, Harvest Sprites."

"And devilishly handsome Phantoms." He added, smirking.

She laughed. "I'm being _serious._"

"And I believe you." He replied solemnly.

She waited for the quip about how he also believed in unicorns and vampires but it never came. Her heart soared as she realised he was being honest and unlike yesterday - when he had told her she made him believe in perfection - Jill was unable to restrain the butterflies from beating against her ribcage.

Skye ran his hands through his hair. "So, all these mystical things exist but that doesn't explain why you're so upset."

Jill sighed and began from the beginning. She told him in hushed tones about the fight between the Harvest Goddess and the Witch Princess and about how she was the one responsible for bringing the deity back – Skye's eyes narrowed somewhat sceptically during this. She also told him about this morning and Daisy, and that was around the time her voice broke into a million pieces, her sentence about the cows death shattering around her like porcelain.

Swiftly, in an almost knee jerk reaction to Jill's grief, Skye grabbed her shoulder and delicately tugged it back, forcing her to look at him – his gaze was all blue fire with green sparks. He placed his hand on her other shoulder and she could feel the warmth of his fingers in the curves of her collarbone, and despite everything her blush deepened.

Skye's eyes continued to burn into hers, warm and intense, as he said: "By the goddess Jill, why on earth are you so upset?" A smile crept on his lips as he shook his head. "Fair maiden, just because you made _one _mistake doesn't mean you're failure." He took a breath. "Scratch that, despite what your angelic beauty may suggest, making a mistake just makes you human."

"I just don't…I just don't mess up very often." Jill's gaze dropped so she was looking at Skye's necklace. It twinkled in the moonlight.

"Darling_, I know_." He said, traces of bitterness in his tone.

Jill, hearing this, replied with: "I'm not going to apologize for getting the ring back."

"You succeeded, fair and square – just like I know you'll succeed with rescuing the Harvest Goddess. One only has to look at the determination you used against me to know that you don't do anything by the half." From the corners of Jill's vision she saw Skye move in closer and reach for her face. Jill's breath slammed into her throat, _was he_ – she exhaled seconds later, the thief simply ruffled her hair affectionately. "Trust me."

Jill swallowed loudly. "I do."

She never could be quite sure, even as she reflected on it later that evening, what she had intended by those words. Had she meant that she trusted his judgement when he said she would rescue the Harvest Goddess? Or, had she meant that she trusted him, wholly and completely and in all of his entirety.

In the end, whichever one she had meant, it didn't really matter – both were true.

If Jill were to ever doubt her feelings for the thief – she never did but if she _were_ – then what happened next would be a constant, tangible reminder of why she had fallen for him. Slowly, so slowly, Skye removed his hands from her shoulders and they slid down her arms before falling to his side. The air prickled against her skin, a cool imprint of where his fingers had been seconds before. Then, he reached up and removed his necklace. Jill cocked her head to the side, confused.

"For you." Her lips parted in shock. He smiled. "Maybe instead of attracting princesses it will attract goddesses." As Skye spoke he scooped her hair to one side and placed his necklace, his most prized possession, around her neck. "You can give it back to me when you rescue her."

Jill could not speak; she was overwhelmed – his generosity was the last thing she had expected. Somehow, although she doesn't remember saying it, she must have thanked him for the necklace because she was able to recall being told that it suited her.

They remained in each other's company for a while after that.

Much later, Jill would think back on this night, with her and Skye sitting on the edge of the bridge, a stream of water fluttering beneath them like a silver ribbon, as their defining moment. For, if she had looked at him - _really _looked - she would have seen the affection behind his gesture and the thinly-veiled desire burning in his eyes.

But, as it happened, Jill didn't look nearly close enough and as such she remained oblivious to the thief's feelings for a little while longer.

* * *

A couple of silhouettes stained the wall of the mine, illuminated by the orange glow of the lanterns. The taller of the two was pacing, a flickering shadow that paced circles around the centre of the room. The other was clutching a bat in their left hand and they impatiently swung it around in the air - the image of it danced against the wall.

"Carter, what's the time?"

"Hm? The time you say? Let me check…" The light caught on the pocket watch the man pulled out from his pocket and its imaged spilled onto the wall, black and magnified. "Why Flora, it's one o'clock in the morning. You know, one of my ancestors told me that certain artefacts can only be found at certain times? Isn't that remarkable? We should consider excavating in the evening sometime to test their hypothesis."

The woman sighed, both at Carter's tangent – she loved him, she did, but _honestly -_ and the thief's tardiness. "I wonder if Phantom Skye is even coming…I mean the note _said _midnight but you can never be too careful…"

Exhausted, Flora rubbed her eyes and her hands disappeared from sight and into the rest of her shadow.

"That filthy scum is probably tricking us! Luring us into the mines in a twisted mind game." His sigh echoed around the room noisily. "Oh that would be that thief's sick idea of fun, wouldn't it?" Carter's silhouette paused, turned abruptly and walked back towards his companion. "Should we head home, my dear?"

"What about the artefacts?"

"If he was going to take them he would have by now. I put up a 'Kappa's Eye' earlier and it must be working."

"_A Kappa's eye_ – sweet Harvest God, you don't mean_ literally _do you?"

He chuckled. "No, no. It's just named that because it was found in the Kappa Lake on Mother Hill. According to the notes I read earlier it's meant to ward off trespassers."

"I can't believe it worked! What a fantastic discovery, Carter. You'll need to tell me exactly what to write in our journal so that future generations," (the implications made her blush so brightly that she honestly wouldn't have been surprised if her entire profile turned red) "can use that knowledge."

"Oh Flora, my wonderful partner, what would I do without you?"

"Goddess knows."

The sound of footsteps resonated around the cave as their two figures blurred together before becoming one. The inky projection of their shadows kissing lingered for quite some time against the caves wall.

* * *

Jill was hot and bothered. The ferocity of the summer heat was swathing her in a layer of sweat and thoughts of Skye were burning themselves into her mind – could he possibly…

Honestly, Jill hadn't wanted to ever be the girl who dissected a boy's behaviour but it sort of just _happened_ an hour or so after she had said goodbye to the thief. It started with her replaying the scene from earlier; Skye giving her his necklace, Skye telling her she could save the Harvest Goddess, Skye making her laugh…

This led her to her current position, which was in bed and deconstructing everything from the corners of Skye's smile to the intonation of his words.

Could he possibly…like _her_?

The relevance of all this was the following: half an hour later Jill decided to open the door to admit some cool, fresh air into the house and as she did this her eyes landed on a scrunched up piece of paper located at the entryway. Without hesitating, she bent over to pick it up. The farmer was able to conclude one undeniable, indisputable fact as she read it – a smile lit up her face as she saw the date – and that was that Skye had comforted her tonight even though he had originally planned to rob the mines.

The questions that had been floating in her brain ceased to bother her because none of her answers mattered, not now, not anymore, not when Skye had chosen her over thieving.

In a heartbeat she was rushing to the Goddess Pond (she just knew he would be there), and for the love of the Harvest Godshe couldn't remember the last time she had run so fast, _so frantically_. Her footsteps echoed noisily, slamming into the ground beneath her and kicking up plumes of dirt, her breath got lost somewhere inside of her throat, and her heart fluttered fast, fast, _faster_– all this happened, but she didn't slow down. Jill closed her eyes – _Skye had chosen her over thieving_ - and when she opened them next she was at the Sprite Tree, and as he had done so many times in the past, the silver haired thief turned to face her.

The wind rustled in the leaves. Cicadas chirped nearby. There was a faint echo of a dog howling**. **Jill shifted the weight of her feet and leaves crumbled noisily beneath her.

Finally, Skye spoke and he delivered his words far more warmly then the first time he had uttered them. "I knew you would come."

Jill's voice was far warmer as well. "And it had nothing to do with the note you left Flora."

Understanding dawned on Skye's face as he replied with: "It would have been impossible to leave such a beautiful maiden to despair alone – even if I did have _prior arrangements_."

"Skye…I came here tonight to…" She bit her lip. Skye looked at her meaningfully. "You could have just left me alone before and you didn't and I wanted – no, _needed _– to thank you for that. I don't know when you decided I was more important than thieving but I'm extremely grateful that you did." Jill took a breath. "So, thank you."

A branch fell into the Goddess Pond with a small splash.

"You know, Jill." Skye began and he closed the majority of the distance between them as he spoke (only a metre or so separated them). "As a thief I've learned never to accept anything until I know I can't get anything of greater value."

Jill lent against the Sprite Tree. "Thanks for the crash course in burglary."

Skye took another step forward, ignoring her jibe. "And so I simply can't accept your 'thank-you' - not when there are far more _favourable_ ways that you could express your gratitude." Suggestively, he traced the outside of his lip with the tip of his thumb, inviting the farmer to kiss him. Her chest hitched.

She took a deep breath, stomach somersaulting, and feigned ignorance. "Oh, and what would that be?"

His lips curved knowingly. "Fair maiden, I think you know."

Her head was spinning. "Do I?"

He nodded. "Undoubtedly."

She leant in slightly. "If that's what you want."

He leant in slightly more. "It is."

At that Jill gripped the front of Skye's collar – her fingers tangled with the silk of his shirt- and closed the gap between them.

* * *

**A/N: And, it's finished! **

**Thanks again to everyone who reviewed, fav'd and alerted – each one put a smile on my face.**


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